Europe’s quantum future: join the public consultation

Your evidence, quantum's future: take part in the public consultation

The Call for Evidence on the future of Europe's Joint Undertakings closed in July and the quantum community showed up. Now it’s time for the decisive round. The European Commission's public consultation is open, and this time participation means one concrete thing: filling in the online questionnaire.

The deadline is 16 October 2026 (midnight Brussels time).

One community, one message

The message the quantum community put on record during the Call for Evidence has not changed. From the Quantum Flagship, as facilitators of a community of more than 4,000 European quantum experts, we summarise the main points through this position paper: A Dedicated Quantum Initiative.

Our key message? To establish a European Quantum Initiative in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, implemented through a dedicated and independent quantum governance track within the Joint Undertaking architecture, with a ring-fenced budget for quantum. Not pooled or shared with other digital technologies.

The public consultation is where this message needs to be echoed and backed by your own experience.

Read the full QOMPASS position paper here.

How to take part

1. Go to the consultation page on the Commission's "Have your say" portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16413-Horizon-Europe-European-Partnerships-to-be-implemented-as-joint-undertakings/public-consultation_en
2. Click "Respond to the questionnaire" and log in with your EU Login account (you can register on the spot).
3. If you respond on behalf of an organisation or business, make sure it is signed up to the EU Transparency Register, as your affiliation is published along with your contribution!
4. Answer the questionnaire (you can do so in any official EU language) and submit before 16 October 2026, midnight Brussels time.

If you are unable to use the online questionnaire, you can contact the Commission at RTD-EUROPEAN-PARTNERSHIPS@ec.europa.eu.

If you'd like more context on what this consultation is, keep reading.

What this consultation is

The consultation feeds directly into the impact assessment for the Single Basic Act (SBA): the regulation that will place the next generation of Joint Undertakings on a single legal basis under Horizon Europe 2028–2034, tightly connected to the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). Where the Call for Evidence was a four-week first sounding, this is the full 12-week public consultation — the Commission's widest exercise to gather stakeholder evidence before drafting the legislation. It runs from 10 July to 16 October 2026, and the Commission states it is particularly interested in views on how the JU instrument could be improved to strengthen Europe's competitiveness.

In parallel, the forthcoming EU Quantum Act provides the legislative momentum for a step-change in how Europe organises its quantum effort. The Commission's review of the European Partnerships is the moment when its institutional form will be decided. That’s why this questionnaire matters so much for quantum.

From scientific leadership to industrial sovereignty

The position paper sets out six principles that should guide the design of the initiative:

• Dedicated quantum governance and a ring-fenced budget, with the capacity to deploy the full range of instruments needed for industrialisation.
• A multi-actor strategic governance and advisory structure, where the European Commission and Member States join forces within a single governing structure, advised by a permanent panel of experts representing the entire European quantum value chain.
• Embrace all quantum technologies, enabling synergies and avoiding unnecessary friction.
• Moving from research to industrial deployment by supporting technology transfer, demonstrators, pilot production and first industrial deployment. Translating research excellence into industrial deployment should be a core objective of the Quantum Act.
• Strengthening Europe’s quantum value chains by reducing critical dependencies and reinforcing Europe’s technological leadership and supply-chain resilience.
• Cross-sectoral strategic alignment with other European initiatives, while retaining the autonomy to steer quantum-specific priorities and investment decisions. Efficient cross-sectoral alignment requires a strong mandate and governance structure.

If your organisation's experience speaks to any of these points… that’s exactly the evidence the Commission is asking for.

Make your response count

The Commission weighs contributions on quality and relevance, and its feedback rules shape what gets counted. A few things to keep in mind:

• Respond in your own words, with your own evidence. Use the QOMPASS position paper to align on the community's shared priorities. However, your specific data, examples and experience carry way more weight. Under the Commission's rules, identical or near-identical submissions are identified and grouped as coordinated campaigns; distinct, evidence-based answers are far more valuable.
• Stay within the scope of the initiative and keep contributions factual and respectful — off-topic or abusive content may not be published.
• Transparency applies. Contributions are published on the portal together with the respondent's declared affiliation; a factual summary report will follow eight weeks after the consultation closes and will feed the impact assessment.

Europe's quantum decade is being written now

The Quantum Flagship has proved time and time again that Europe can build world-leading quantum science and a supports a vibrant innovation ecosystem. Whether that foundation becomes industrial leadership (with a dedicated governance track and a ring-fenced budget to sustain it) depends on decisions that lay ahead of all of us. The questionnaire is open. The deadline is 16 October 2026. Make your voice heard through the "Have your say" portal.